


Russet Feathers and Olive Eyes

by Rhitta, TheTiredGeneticist



Series: The Universe With Magic and Stuff. [2]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, Multi, Surprise it’s Emily!, birb girlfriend!, the story continues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2019-09-26
Packaged: 2020-10-25 03:16:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20717177
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhitta/pseuds/Rhitta, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheTiredGeneticist/pseuds/TheTiredGeneticist
Summary: It’s been almost a year since Lena and Amélie met, healed, and loved. Now, with winter fast approaching they receive an unexpected guest....





	1. THUNK

“This isn’t Christmas, Chérie. We don’t have to stay up late.” 

Amelie chuckled as Lena snuggled into her side and made a stubborn noise, stifling a yawn and pulling the blankets tighter around her. She had decided to stay up on Halloween, despite Amélie _insisting_ that there was no reason to. She had allowed her to remain up on Christmas Eve and now she did it on all holidays without exception. She seemed to think that it brought good luck, or something like that. 

“Did you enjoy all the sweets we bought, Lena?” Amélie crooned as she ran her fingers through the faun’s messy hair, gently stroking one of her velvety ears. Lena nodded sleepily, trying to muffle another yawn. She had tired herself out over the past few days, this was her first time experiencing Halloween, and she had _loved_ every minute of it. 

Lena had _begged_ to go to the market to get sweets, and she had convinced Amélie to buy her a pumpkin to carve as they were leaving. The faun stuck out like a sore thumb from the villagers, but everyone quickly came to _love_ her when she burst into their shops with a huge smile, dragging Amélie behind her. They ended up buying far too much, but Lena was _beaming_ by the time they were done and it made the trip worthwhile. 

Lena’s attempt at carving her pumpkin had been an adventure. She had gotten more pumpkin on _herself_ than in the bowl Amélie had provided and in the end Amélie helped her finish. Once they had lit a candle, placed it inside the carved pumpkin and left it outside, Amélie carried Lena upstairs over her shoulder, dunked her in the bath, and spent an hour picking seeds out of the faun’s hair. Lena had wriggled and laughed the whole time, and by the end of it Amélie had been completely _soaked_ as Lena constantly splashed her. 

A good towelling off and reclothing later Lena was in a cute white tunic and a baby blue vest, just in time for trick or treaters. 

Apparently she had gained a _few_ admirers in town, and Amélie was surprised by the amount of families that showed up for talk and treats. Lena was _delighted_ to see so many people, and while Amélie entertained the adults the faun happily entertained the children. 

By the time the last family left, promising to return the following year and already planning to make a tradition of the unexpected party, it was late. Lena was tired but still _determined_ to stay awake all night eating sweets. 

“Perhaps we should plan an _actual_ party for next year.” Amélie suggested, and Lena nodded sleepily against her shoulder, raising another sweet to take a bite. 

“I think you’ve had _enough_, Chérie. You’re going to get a stomachache.” Amélie chuckled, gently guiding Lena’s hand away from her mouth. Lena made a noise of protest and was about to voice it as well when she was interrupted quite suddenly and loudly. 

** _THUNK!_ **

They both _jolted_ up as something _very_ big hit Amélie’s bedroom window very _hard_, letting out a muffled shriek before falling to the ground outside with a thud, and they both stared at the darkness outside for a moment before looking at each other. 

“We should probably go see what on _earth_ just hit my window.”

Lena made a _tiny_ noise of agreement, trying to smooth down her fluffed up fur and pretend that the noise hadn’t scared the daylights out of her. 

~

“What flies this late at night!?” Amélie muttered as she held up the freshly lit lantern, holding onto Lena’s hand as the faun gripped it anxiously. Fauns _feared_ the dark, naturally, the time when their eyes failed them and their ears could pick up every last thing that went _bump_ in the night. 

“It landed near here....” 

Amélie took a few steps forward, only to leap back as a loud _hiss_ erupted from right in front of her. Her lantern caught on gleaming claws and _bared_ teeth. Lena _squeaked_ and tried to hide behind her. 

“Well _shit_.” Amélie cursed as the creature tried to push itself up, only to collapse again with a _wheeze_. Lena peeked around Amélie and her ears pricked up. 

“A _harpy_...?” 

The feathered woman _growled_ as Lena took a timid step towards her, curiosity overpowering her fear. 

“Lena be careful. It’s still dangerous! Don’t get too close!”Amélie cautioned as Lena stepped closer again, and the harpy let out another _hiss_. 

“But it’s hurt....” 

She _was_ hurt, and from the looks of it quite badly. One of her wings was clearly _broken_. 

“We should _help_ her Amé!” 

Amélie was about to protest when Lena stepped closer again, and the harpy _lunged_ for her with a shriek. 

“_LENA!_”

The faun let out a grunt when the surprisingly _light_ body slammed into her, knocking the wind out of her as they both tumbled to the ground. The harpy didn’t hesitate to go on the attack, sinking her sharp teeth into Lena’s shoulder and growling. 

Despite the pain and Amélie’s cry of shock Lena didn’t seem too bothered. The harpy was too weak to do real damage and now that Lena was close enough she wrapped her arms around the body on top of hers, starting to run her fingers through her feathers and _crooning_ to her softly. 

“It’s okay now, don’t be scared. We’re gonna help you....”

The harpy’s remaining energy didn’t last very long. She quickly lost the strength to keep biting Lena, her jaw relaxing as she released her with a low _groan_. She sagged forwards and Lena slowly sat up, holding the exhausted harpy against her so she didn’t slide off. 

“Amé, she _needs_ help....” 

The huntress couldn’t say no after watching Lena calm the harpy down. She sighed, and she nodded. 

“Let’s get her inside, then, before she can bite you again.” 

~

The harpy _barely_ fought back as Amélie carried her up to Lena’s room, where the faun had scampered ahead to make a suitable blanket nest. The harpy’s eyes were half closed and unfocused, and her breathing was broken by soft _wheezing_ and _coughing_. Once inside, Amélie could see that she was covered in ash and soot and was most likely coughing from inhaling smoke. Her wings were _singed_ and a number of flight feathers were missing. She was in _terrible_ shape. 

Lena was sitting next to a very impressive blanket nest when she made it to the faun’s room. She had thrown every blanket she had in her possession into the nest, from the looks of it, and she looked _very_ pleased with herself. The small fireplace was relit and the lamps were burning, giving them enough light to see and care for their new guest. 

The harpy groaned softly as Amélie laid her down, blinking slowly at them with tired eyes. 

“Does your shoulder hurt?” 

Lena shook her head. “Nah, she didn’t bite me _too_ hard. I wanna get her cleaned up before I look at it.” 

Amélie sighed, exasperated, but she was smiling nevertheless. Lena was a selfless woman, ready to help anyone for _any_ reason. It was one of the things Amélie _adored_ about her. 

“I’ll fetch a basin and we can get this soot off of her, and I’ll fetch materials to make a splint.” Amélie murmured, watching as Lena laid down next to the nest and began to softly speak to the harpy again. 

~

The harpy was more cooperative than Amélie anticipated, especially considering how much pain she had to be in. Getting her clean was _not_ an easy task, especially when it came to her injured wing. They had to stretch it out, which was painful enough, but they also had to clean the soot off of it, which had to be _agony_. The harpy, thankfully, didn’t make any effort to attack or stop them, seeming to understand that they were trying to help, she only voiced her pain in soft _moans_ and _whimpers_ until they had cleaned and splinted the break, allowing her to pull it close to her body again. The break was, thankfully, in her upper arm, so she didn’t need her arm completely straightened out and could keep it tucked to her side like normal. 

Once her wing was dealt with she almost seemed to _enjoy_ being bathed, her eyes drifting shut and her breaths starting to even out. 

“She’s real _pretty_, ain’t she?” Lena commented as she very carefully cupped the harpy’s cheek with one hand, gently wiping soot from her face with the other. 

She _was_ pretty. 

She was covered in rusty brown feathers, edging towards more brilliant reds and oranges in places. Her face was _soft_ and _delicate_, unlike the harpies Amélie had read about in books. Apparently not all of them were hideous old crones. Her head was covered in long feathers that weren’t as stiff as her flight feathers, falling around her face in a way that resembled a human’s hair. The feathers on her face were small and soft to the touch, decorating her forehead, cheeks and ears. 

“Poor thing. Wonder where she came from.” Lena was gently stroking the harpy’s brow, looking down at her with sympathy. 

“I’ll go get her some food.” 

Lena nodded, her eyes remaining on their guest. Amélie got up and quietly made her way to the door, grabbing the basin and washcloths she and Lena had used along the way. She left them in the kitchen to be washed later, when she _didn’t_ have a harpy to tend to. 

The basement was already half-stocked for winter, with barrels of preserved fruit and venison hanging on curing racks. Amélie had more hunting to do, especially now that they were caring for a flightless harpy. She would need to be fed until she could hunt again, and once winter set in she would likely be unable to manage a kill before she _froze_. 

Amélie sighed, and she grabbed a carving knife from the rack by the bottom of the stairs. She removed a chunk of meat from one of the kills she had made most recently, to be safe. She had no idea how harpies preferred to eat, besides knowing that they were obligate carnivores. She didn’t know how salted or smoked meat would affect her. 

She grabbed a glass on her way back and filled it with water, and she made her way back upstairs to feed their guest before she let her rest for the night. The harpy was where she had left her, and Lena was _snoring_ softly next to her, having succumbed to her exhaustion. The harpy made a soft noise and her head turned, olive eyes flashing open to _glare_ at Amélie as she approached. 

“Easy, easy.” Amélie murmured as the harpy puffed up and _hissed_ softly, before she realized that the hostility wasn’t directed at her. The harpy was looking at the small fireplace with a mixture of _fear_ and _anger_. 

“Here, eat. You’re safe here, the fire won’t hurt you.” Amélie tried to soothe the harpy as she sat down next to the nest, offering the chunk of meat to her and watching as she glanced at it, then at the fire, then back. When she didn’t take it Amélie looked away, giving her as much privacy as she was able. A moment later the meat was plucked out of her hand and the harpy’s razor sharp teeth made quick work of it, to Amélie’s mixed horror and _fascination_. It was like listening to a mouthful of steak knives carving away. The harpy devoured the offering in moments and she spent a few minutes cleaning the resulting blood from her claws before she started to settle down again. 

“Here have some water before you sleep.” 

The harpy blinked at her, then at the glass. Amélie quickly figured out that she didn’t trust the water, and she smiled reassuringly before she lifted the glass to her own lips and drank some. 

“See? Here, it’s clean.” 

The harpy made a soft noise, but when Amélie offered the glass again she slowly leaned forward to sniff at it. She didn’t take it into her hands, since Amélie was watching, so the huntress carefully rested the rim against the harpy’s lips and tilted the glass. 

Once she tasted the water the harpy’s eyes fluttered shut, and she began taking sips that _deepened_ into long, _greedy_ pulls that quickly emptied the glass. When a few drops escaped the glass and rolled down her chin, Amélie reached for one of the washcloths she and Lena hadn’t used. The harpy shrank back, but Amélie was patient. She showed her the towel and moved slowly, being careful not to startle her guest as she very gently wiped the droplets of water away. 

“There, now you can sleep. You look _exhausted_…”

The harpy blinked at her slowly, before she let her head _drop_ onto the blankets with a groan. She was completely _spent_. Her eyes drifted shut as Amélie got up and padded around the nest of blankets, and lowered herself next to Lena to get comfortable. Wherever Lena slept, _Amélie_ slept. She felt the faun wiggle herself backwards, letting out a happy sigh when Amélie slipped an arm around her waist and pressed herself to the faun’s back. She was warm and she smelled like candy from gorging on it earlier. Amélie nuzzled her nose into her hair and hummed, closing her eyes with a _smile_. 

  
  
  
  



	2. Storms and Grief, and Some Well Earned Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The harpy starts to open up a little, and the girls receive answers as to how she got there. Their new guest received some well deserved relief.

When Amélie woke up, it was to faint autumn sunlight and Lena letting out a _squeak_ as she got a face full of feathers. She sat up, mildly panicked at Lena’s distressed sounds, only to chuckle at what she saw. 

Lena had, at some point during the night, scooted closer to the harpy and had been comfortably spooning her until just a few moments ago. She was sitting up now, softly _sputtering_ as she recovered from nearly inhaling one of the harpy’s long hair-feathers. The harpy, luckily, remained asleep. 

“When she wakes up let’s take her outside. I doubt a creature that flies would remain happy indoors for very long.” 

Lena nodded, slowly getting up and moving as quietly as she could towards the door. “I’ll go get some food and bring it up for us.” 

Amélie nodded, smiling at her and settling back down to wait for the harpy to wake up. 

The harpy looked a _lot_ better than she had the night before. Despite missing feathers, and despite the splint, she looked much more rested. Her breaths were coming more easily than before, as her body recovered. 

As Amélie watched, the harpy’s olive eyes fluttered open, and she slowly sat up with a yawn and looked around. The moment she realized she was in an enclosed space she seemed to become _agitated_, feathers fluffing up. 

“It’s alright, we’ll take you outside, alright? You’d like that?” 

The harpy _growled_ in response, looking away before reluctantly nodding. 

“Would you like to go now?” 

The harpy nodded again. Amélie smiled at her when she made eye contact again and got to her feet. 

“Can you walk?” She asked, and she was more than a bit relieved when the harpy got to its feet and stayed up, _glaring_ at her half heartedly. 

“Let’s go then.” 

~

Amélie watched the harpy as she looked up at the sky, ready to stop her if she tried to fly again. Her first attempt moments ago had ended with her face first on the blanket Amélie had set out, clutching her arm and _whimpering_. Now, she seemed to be realizing that she _couldn’t_ fly. She had sat up looking rather _dazed_ after her face plant, looking down at the blanket, then at her arm, then stared up at the sky with wide eyes. As Amélie watched, they abruptly _flooded_ with tears and the harpy let out a loud, _mournful_ wail, before she flopped over on her side, sobbing. 

Lena, who had just emerged from the house with everyone’s breakfast, almost dropped the tray in her panic as the harpy cried, hurriedly trotting over to the blanket and setting it down. 

“Hey, what’s wrong luv? Whatcha _cryin_’ for? Your arm hurts?” 

Amélie had also moved closer, torn between caution and the urge to gently rub the harpy’s back to soothe her. 

“...I’m gonna die...” 

Lena blinked, clearly confused. “From a broken wing? Naw, you’re gonna be fine! Me an’ Amé here’ll make sure you get enough to eat and you’ll be flyin’ again in no time!” 

Lena didn’t seem to have the caution Amélie did, and she began to gently rub the harpy’s back in soothing circles. “You won’t starve, I promise!”

The harpy continued to cry for a bit, her sobs gradually dying away into soft whimpers before she looked up tearfully. 

“Why...?”

Lena looked confused again, “why what, luv?” 

The harpy hiccuped softly, then she wiped her eyes on her uninjured arm and slowly pushed herself up.

“Why are you _helping_ me....?” The harpy sounded so utterly _confused_ by their kindness, it broke Amélie’s heart. Had she not been shown the same kindness back with her own kind? Was a broken wing really a _death sentence_ for them in the wild?

“Would your own kind not care for you?” She murmured, and the harpy sniffled again, looking at the ground sullenly. “Broken wings don’t heal. They never heal...” 

“But we _splinted_ it, look! Now that it’s set it’ll heal up properly!” 

Lena was trying so _hard_ to cheer the poor creature up. The harpy let out a watery sigh and laid back down, curling into herself. 

“Why don’t you eat with us? After that we can... well... what do harpies do for fun?” 

The harpy raised her head and sniffled, “we fly....” 

“Oh....”

Amélie _sighed_ and handed Lena her plate to save her from herself, watching as she shoved a piece of bread into her mouth with exasperation. 

“Here.” 

The harpy looked up again, eyeing the plate with suspicion. 

“It’s just venison, I had Lena cut it up to make it easier to eat.” 

The harpy slowly sat up again and Amélie set the plate down in front of her, grabbing her own and eating her toast at a more sedate pace. Lena was already almost done. 

The harpy was _terrifyingly_ efficient. Her teeth were indeed like steak knives, now that Amélie could see her eating. She started slowly, but once she tasted blood all caution left her and she inhaled the rest of her meal enthusiastically. It was a relief to see that her appetite had not been affected by her, “every bird for themselves” mentality. 

“So, what’s your name, luv? I’m Lena, and the _gorgeous_ human next to me is my girlfriend, Amélie!” Lena put her arm around the huntress as she gave the harpy a small wave. The harpy paused in cleaning the blood off of her talons, squinting at each of them before replying. 

“...My name is Emily.”

Lena brightened up like it was _Christmas_. “That’s a beautiful name! Not very harpy-like though. I used to know twin harpies names Sicila and Sorora, Emily is kind of _human_-sounding though innit?” 

Emily shrugged, “My Da named me. He was human. My Ma…. well I didn’t know my ma. She got sick right after I hatched and…” 

Lena _deflated_ visibly, then she tried her best to turn the conversation to a more lighthearted topic. 

“So, wanna go walk around?” She suggested, and Emily gave her an odd look. “I know you don’t walk much but when I’m sad feeling the grass under my feet makes me feel better. It grounds me, ya know?”

“I… really _don’t_….” 

“Well come on then!” Lena replied as she pushed herself up, offering Emily her hand and pulling her up when she took it. The harpy stumbled a bit, but she kept her balance as Lena pulled her along to go walk around the front of the chateau. Emily looked wary of the whole thing, and she didn’t seem to like the feeling of grass under her talons, but she seemed able to put up with it. 

Maybe she just didn’t want to disappoint Lena. She had that effect on people. 

Amélie cleaned up the plates and cutlery and took them inside, leaving them by the sink. She trusted Lena, but she wanted to supervise their interactions for the time being. Lena was sometimes overly enthusiastic, and the last thing anyone needed was Emily getting bitey again. 

She could wash the dishes later. 

~

“You really like that root don’cha?” 

Emily had hopped up onto a raised root near the edge of the forest, and she seemed determined to remain there. 

“I don’t like the grass. It tickles. Don’t like it.” She huffed, _glaring_ at Lena as she tried to climb up beside her and sit, only to slip and fall off almost immediately. 

“Aw, it ain’t that bad! It’s _soft_!” 

“You have _hooves_, it feels different to you.” Emily retorted, hunching over and shuffling a little further up the gnarled root. She was _overwhelmed_, clearly, and trying to take a moment for herself. Amélie could see her trembling as she trotted over, blanket folded over her arm. 

L“Lena, let her be for a moment. Let her get used to it. Forcing her will only make her upset. Here.” 

Emily glanced down as Amélie spread the blanket out under her, giving her a place to jump down to. “If you want to come down just sit on this. Do you want us to leave you alone for a bit?” 

Emily looked away and hunched her shoulders, hiding her face behind one wing. 

“Yes….”

Amélie nodded and she turned to go back to the chateau, hearing Lena huff before she started to follow. 

“Amé, it’s gonna rain. We can’t leave her there.” Lena protested as soon as she caught up, looking back at the harpy as they entered the building. 

“She will either come in herself or try to tough it out. I will go get her when she wants me to. I’ll be watching her, Lena, don’t worry.” 

The faun argued for a moment longer, before she deflated and went to go check on the garden. There wasn’t much left, just the last stragglers that needed harvesting, but Lena tended to them with all of her heart. She spent most of her time out there when she was alone, or, in this case, when Amélie didn’t agree with her and she felt a bit cross. She’d be back to her happy self once Emily was back indoors. 

Amélie settled on the loveseat in the sitting room, watching Emily through the large window to make sure she didn’t need any help. She hadn’t moved, and was probably either sulking or crying. Amélie didn’t blame her. She had turned up covered in soot and ash, and that meant she had likely lost her roost in a fire. She probably lost loved ones and now she was able to _mourn_ for them. Amélie wanted to go to her, to comfort her, but she knew that Emily didn’t want that. She wanted to be left to grieve for her people in peace. 

Amélie watched her for some time, until the clouds that had steadily darkened the sky broke and a crack of thunder shook the panes of glass. Emily’s head shot up and she went from crying to _panicked_ in a split second, launching off the tree root and landing hard on the now slippery grass before doing her best to run to the chateau. 

She wouldn’t have braved the grass again if something weren’t wrong. Amélie rose from the loveseat as Lena ran in, sputtering and grabbing for a towel. She swiftly made her way to the door and opened it just in time to see Emily slip on a patch of mud and fall into a rapidly forming puddle, gasping and trying to get up again. 

“Don’t laugh at me!” She snarled as Amélie drew close, and the huntress felt her heart _break_ a little bit. Was Emily used to being laughed at? 

“Where’s your stormshield!?” She cried out as soon as Amélie reached her, pulling the harpy up and frowning as she spoke. 

“Stormshield…?” 

“Your stormshield!? To protect your home!?” 

Ah. Amélie knew what the harpy was so scared of. “We don’t need one. Come inside and I’ll explain.” 

Emily looked very doubtful of Amélie’s words, but she followed the huntress inside, where Lena had an armful of towels ready. 

“Here, luv. Let’s go cuddle up by the fire and get dry!” 

~

Emily let out a _sneeze_ and pulled her blankets tighter around her, tucking her knees to her chest and _moping_ as Amélie laid a plate of food in front of the two of them.

“Here. You both look like you could use some pampering after that downpour.”

Emily paused, but when Lena eagerly snatched one of the pieces of fruit off the platter she followed suite, plucking up one of the pieces of meat Amélie had kept in a separate bowl and nibbling on it. 

Once inside Amélie had explained to her the difference between a harpy roost and a house, and that the walls had withstood much worse, she seemed to relax. Emily listened quietly and made a few small inquiries here and there, how the chateau was built, how long she had owned it, and so on. She seemed to be finally relaxing after Amélie had explained, taking her eyes off the window to pay attention to Lena when she started talking about how many snowstorms they had had the previous winter. 

Amélie cleaned up their plates while they talked, padding back to the kitchen to wash everything that had accumulated that morning, and think about what they could do to pass the time until the rain stopped. 

She glanced out the window as she returned, and she paused. There was a carriage just pulling to a stop outside. She frowned, and she watched as a small form hurried up the steps towards her door. She wasn’t expecting guests, nor did she particularly _want_ any with Emily still getting used to everything. She didn’t need any more stress. 

“Oh…. I suppose I need to get the door.” 

Lena looked up confusedly, before a loud knock broke the silence. Amélie padded to the door while Lena reassuring Emily that it was safe and ok and to please not _bite_ anyone. Emily glared at the door regardless. 

Amélie spoke quietly, too quietly to hear, then Ana strode into the sitting room looking both enraged and frantic. 

“It’s an _atrocity_ is what it is, Amélie. A whole roost wiped out just as we were about to-_oh_!” 

Her angry tone softened the moment she spotted Lena and Emily, the latter cowering under her blanket and looking up at her with wide eyes. 

“Is that you Emily? Oh thank the gods girl, you survived!”

Emily was standing when Ana reached her and yanked her into a desperate hug, and she made a noise of surprise, but she didn’t fight back. Ana stepped back but held onto the harpy’s shoulders, taking a better look at her. 

“What happened to your wing girl!?” 

Amélie cleared her throat, getting Ana’s attention. “She broke it when she, ah, had a _disagreement_ with my window.” 

Emile made a noise of embarrassment and looked away. 

“Is it your _eyes_ again, girl?” Ana inquired, before she pulled something out of her pocket. Emily continued to look away until Ana offered the object to her. 

“Here. Your aunt asked me if I could help you so I had these made for you after my last visit.” 

Emily blinked at the object in Ana’s hand, a pair of simple glasses with black metal frames. When she didn’t move to take them the older woman chuckled and held them up. “Here. Hold still a moment.” 

Emily eyed the glasses suspiciously, but she seemed to trust Ana enough that she didn’t try to move away. Ana gently slid the glasses to rest comfortably on the bridge of her nose and then stepped back, letting Emily get used to them. 

“Go on, girl, look around.” 

Emily blinked, then she slowly looked down at her hands, opening and closing them as her breathing began to _tremble_. Her hands were _shaking_. 

“Are you alright, luv?” Lena asks softly, coming up to Amélie’s side and hugging her arm as they watched Emily take in her surroundings with newfound _clarity_. The harpy seemed to be completely focussed on memorizing every small detail in the room, from the small carvings on the furniture to the gold inlaid spines of the books on the shelves. 

When her eyes finally came to rest on the two of them, watching her quietly and with small smiles on their faces, she _froze_, her eyes frantically roaming over them to try and memorize them as well. It was like she was afraid that this sudden clarity would only last a moment, and she needed to commit them to memory. 

When they didn’t move, she slowly turned and padded closer, her movements careful as she raised one hand, then hesitated. Her hands were still shaking as she very slowly continued, and her fingertips very lightly ghosted over Lena’s cheek. 

As soon as the contact was made, Emily seemed to crumple, collapsing to her knees with a sob. It was difficult to tell if she was upset or _overjoyed_, even when Lena joined her in the floor and the harpy immediately _engulfed_ her in a hug. 

“You’re safe here, luv. Just let it all out.” Lena murmured, as Amélie knelt to join them, and allowed herself to be drawn into the embrace with only a little protest. Emily’s wings were warm, and Lena nuzzled into the side of the harpy’s neck with a soft sigh, providing comfort as Emily cried. 

“We’ve gotcha, luv…” Lena soothed, and Amélie made a noise of agreement, leaning her head against Emily’s when the harpy buried it against her shoulder. 

~

“Emily was born _different_ from the others in her clutch. She was just as bright and energetic as the others, but she couldn’t see anything beyond an arm’s reach. She’s terribly nearsighted and she couldn’t keep up with or fit in with the others, no matter how _hard_ she tried.” Ana explained while Amélie carefully draped a blanket over Emily’s sleeping form. The harpy had quickly petered out after their moment on the floor, _sagging_ against Amélie and falling asleep before the huntress even got her to the couch. Her glasses were safely on the table next to her, and Lena had sat with Emily’s head in her lap, gently stroking her brow. 

“She was often the target of bullies because she was supposed to be the next matriarch, but she couldn’t see anything or read without giving herself a headache. Her aunt was the matriarch before her, and she asked me to look into getting her those so she wouldn’t be bullied anymore and would be able to fulfill her duties.” 

Ana sounded a bit _sad_ near the end, watching as Lena laid down and Emily quickly engulfed her in another hug, burying her face in Lena’s hair. 

“At least she has you two. She seems happy enough here for now, and once she has had her time to grieve she can start finding out what she wants to do with her life now.” 

Amélie nodded slowly as she watched Lena snuggle into Emily’s arms even further, letting out a happy sigh. Emily, though, looked _anxious_ even in sleep. Her brow was furrowed and she looked anything but happy. 

Perhaps in time, that would change. For now, she observed, and planned. She had a lot of work to do if she was to welcome a third person into her household. She found she liked the idea of more. More company, another _companion_. 

“I’ll take care of her, Ana. Don’t worry.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess I have to change the tags now XD
> 
> Let me and Rhitta know how we did! Did you like the chapter? What do you think we could improve on? Let us know!

**Author's Note:**

> Part TWO of the cloven hooves AU is brought to you by Rhitta and my obsession with mythical creatures XD
> 
> Let us know how we did! Are you excited for more? LET US KNOW!!!


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